Roberto Di Matteo had let his emotions get the better of him once already this week and he was not about to let it happen again.

Having found himself the target for some good-natured ribbing since his euphoric pitch invasion after Chelsea’s epic Champions League victory over Napoli, Di Matteo had recovered his cool in time for Friday’s quarter-final draw.

‘Are you writing off AC Milan, the leaders of Serie A, as easy as that?’ Chelsea’s interim manager asked those anxious to leap beyond Benfica and discuss the prospect of meeting Lionel Messi in the semis or Jose Mourinho in the final.

Playing it safe: Roberto Di Matteo won't get carried away with Chelsea's Champions League chances

‘You’re well ahead in the future. You speculate if you want. I’m not. When you get to the last eight every draw is difficult.

‘Benfica have good players like Gaitan and Luisao but they’re a good unit. They won Manchester United’s group.’

Benfica is a decent draw but Di Matteo will not get ahead of himself. As a player, he plunged from scoring an FA Cup winning goal at Wembley to a career-ending leg break in four months; as West Bromwich Albion manager, from promotion to the sack in eight.

This attitude will serve him well in his new role as interim manager — something of an unnecessary title given Chelsea’s revolving door policy —and the Napoli experience will boost his self-belief as the Italian turns his attention to his specialist subject.

Danger man: Benfica's Argentinian forward Nicolas Gaita

Beat Leicester in the FA Cup quarter-final tomorrow and Di Matteo will be Wembley-bound for the first time since scoring the only goal of the 2000 FA Cup final against Aston Villa.

Two years later, a few weeks after confirming he would retire, he was leading out the Chelsea team for an FA Cup final against Arsenal in Cardiff, at the behest of Claudio Ranieri.

‘That was a nice gesture by the club and manager,’ said Di Matteo. ‘But I thought, because we lost, it meant my managerial career was gone, over after one game. It was the end of my career and it felt like that was it for me.’

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When Albion sacked him last year it might have seemed like the end again. Di Matteo was rejected by clubs in the Championship and League One but suddenly presides over one of the biggest in Europe, in the quarter-finals of two competitions, fifth in the Barclays Premier League.

‘Interesting,’ was the word he chose when asked to describe how it feels to be in charge at Chelsea but he stressed he had no issue with captain John Terry barking instructions from the bench after being substituted against Napoli.

‘I expect all my players to reinforce the messages I give before and during the game,’ he said. ‘That’s what happened. It was not just him. We are lucky to have some leaders and I expect them to reinforce the message.

‘My job is to get the best out of them. We need to have a spirit of sacrifice for each other and passion for the team.

‘I’ve been in a dressing room. I know what it’s like and I’m not intimidated by anyone. You don’t have to put your medals on the table. You don’t have to be an ex-player to be successful — look at Arrigo Sacchi or Jose or AVB — but it means you can understand how the players are thinking.’

Terry has ambitions to manage Chelsea one day but his latest manager believes the 31-year-old should not wish away his playing days.

‘He is too young,’ said Di Matteo. ‘I can help him with his coaching badges but I would recommend players play for as long as they can. That’s the best part of your football career.’

Terry and David Luiz, injured against Napoli, are fit to face Leicester but Di Matteo plans to make changes with a congested schedule looming.

They play eight games in 23 days — nine if an FA Cup replay is needed — including Premier League games against Manchester City and Spurs and two Champions League legs against Benfica.